Underspace News

January! January! The year of new beginnings, of missed resolutions and miserable cold without any of the holidays to redeem it. With the previous year in our rear view mirror and the military having safely wrangled Santa Claus back into his prison with only minimum civilian casualties, let’s take a look at the things worked on in the last month.


If you missed it patch 1.52 is out for Underspace’s official demo. This is mostly a bugfixing pass (with special thanks to our fans for catching a lot of these), so if you had any issues with saving or buying ships in 1.5, check this one out. At the same time we are working to get patch 1.6 out fairly soon.

As always, you can read the full devlog on Kickstarter here:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/pastaspace/underspace/posts/2726199



You may recall in many of these devlogs that we’ve teased redone models for all stations. With a new year ahead of us, I’m happy to say that all the station models have not only been redone, but every station has those redone models now fully implemented.


More than that, we’ve optimized, staggered, and redone rendering for stations, greatly increasing the framerate across pretty much any system. This, after asteroids, is the second biggest optimization pass, and even lower-end computers should benefit greatly from it.




The first parts of December were mostly focused on getting out demo 1.5, which meant finishing the tutorial, which meant creating the technology behind the tutorial. Some of this was simple stuff like advanced tooltips and better background controls, but perhaps the most relevant and interesting new feature is the self-contained level system. For the tutorial, this is used for its simulations, but it has a very wide range of applications such as challenges, missions, dream sequences, memories, and much much more.




Of course, the majority of the month was spent going through various mechanics, playing the game for hours on end, and quashing bugs and tweaking things that didn’t feel quite right. We also introduced new quality-of-life features and elements to help things along, such as more detailed messages, and a new “auto-follow” feature that will let your ship automatically follow waypoints and let you take a break for a while.
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]


And, as always, there’s a whole bunch of new assets being worked on.This includes the fabulously explosive leviathan, the Disium, parts for space dungeons (dungeons that are in space), and a whole host of capital ships.
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]







And that’s all for this month. We’ll be trying to get 1.6 to you soon enough, but if you have bugs to submit for demo 1.52, feel free to submit them!

As promised in our last update, demo 1.5 is now available on PC, Linux, and Macontash.

PC Linux Mac itch.io Mirror

This new update represents around four months of hard, grueling, back-breaking game development, and as such there's a ton of new features, most of which you've seen in the previous development diaries. If you haven't, here's a brief summary of all the new things, in funny image form:


And lastly, here's the full changelog!

• Joystick mode does not work beyond the basics, as input is going through an internal rework.
  
• Input remapping is going through a rework, and has issues. Macs in particular may need specific remappings.
  
• The game is currently unoptimized in many demo systems, due to station models not having been optimized.
  
• Spish will generate a phantom shape that appears when light shines on it.
  
• Countermeasures may sometimes fail to work.
  
• Wrecks still drop intact versions of equipment.
  
• Setting the resolution ingame doesn’t work. This has been disabled due to issues.
  

• Added over 30 new ships in the form of bombers and freighters.
  
• New trading mechanics: station commodities will be affected by supply and demand.
  
• Included several new item types and allowed for missiles, mines, and countermeasures to work properly.
  
• NPC pathfinding and combat AI improved, with such features as missile use, using lanelines properly, and more.
  
• New models for fixtures such as lampposts and lighthouses, ticker relays, and buoys.
  
• Major graphical passes on asteroids, suns, and nebula.
  
• New effects for ships catching fire, explosions, engines, highengines, jumptunnels and weapons.
  
• New games now start with crappy low-value new-game ships.
  
• Complete nonHUD UI overhaul for better functionality and clarity.
  
• New UI features include the ability to check best prices, track recent reputation changes on a faction, and more.
  
• Many under-the-hood optimizations on existing things, such as colliders and physics.
  
• Addition of a meta-inventory with meta items.
  
• Added decal system.
  
• New camera systems and effects, including a classical dynamic “loose” camera and the existing “close” camera. You can switch between the two in the options menu.
  
• Scanned data will give out items in addition to cash rewards.
  
• Adjusted leveling curve and properly hooked up RPG mechanics to skills and levels.
  
• Added long range waypoint system.
  
• Brand new tutorial level and functionality to help new starchasers better learn the insandouts of the game. The tutorial can be accessed from the main menu by pressing the “new game” button and selecting the tutorial option.
  
• Suns now kill you if you get too close to them.
  
• And much much much much much more!
  

• A lot, most of which I’m probably going to miss due to the sheer amount of them.
  
• Fixed issues with docking and NPCs docking incorrectly.
  
• Fixed UI formatting issues, especially ones with money.
  
• Fixed issues with contact HUD not updating when it should.
  
• Fixed issues with asteroid fields and nebulas not properly updating or having the effects and clearances they should.
  
• Fixed issues with explosion and damage effects not resetting properly.
  
• Improved and fixed issues with mining asteroids where they wouldn’t be destroyed properly.
  
• Fixed item duplication issues.
  
• Fixed issues where undocking would freeze the game.
  

Now, I know it's been ages some time between demo versions, and we'll try to rectify that as best we can. At the same time, we have specific milestones that need to be complete before each new demo version. Our hope with the next demo is to have greatly improved performance, new station models, a new input system (that will allow full use of joysticks and controllers), and various polishes and fixes.

December, the good old final month in the year. It’s when the weather gets cold, the stores start stocking eggnog, my heating bills shoot up, and of course it’s when Santa Claus emerges from his cocoon of meat and amniotic fluid to once again wage his forever-war against mankind. Meanwhile I’m still trying to shake off the last bits of the turkey haze of November, but said is not hazy enough to stop all kinds of important Underspace work from being done.

The goal now is to get demo 1.5 out by the end of the year, obviously it hasn’t come with this devlog, as the main thing still missing is the tutorial, but that’s written out and nearly scripted out. In the coming weeks I’ll be grinding away at finishing said tutorial, as well as going over the demo for bugs. I’ll post another update when the new demo is launched and ready.

As always, this is just a taste of the full update, which you can read on our Kickstarter page here:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/pastaspace/underspace/posts/2705150


You may recall in a previous update I went over creating new assets for nebulas and suns. These weren’t fully implemented, and last month I went over all 70 star systems, giving them an updated pass for graphics on stars and clouds.





This isn’t done yet, as the only real way to get a good sense of what clouds work and what need adjusting can only be done through regular play.

Of course clouds and asteroids aren’t the only thing getting a touch-up! Explosions, fire, and everything burny got an overhaul, and both run and look better. Now when fighters and freighters die, or when you launch a missile or mine, they’ll look much better.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

There’s also been some other graphical work done, with things like color-grading zones and lights flickering on wreckage (still a WIP, as wreckage assets need to be made from existing ship models).

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]



Perhaps the biggest and most exciting new update is a total overhaul of our asteroid rendering system. Previously this was a major source of performance issues, due to the nature of how Unity renders things combined with how our system works. This is no longer the case, and asteroids run far far better now, with my own computer seeing a 30 FPS increase while in heavy fields.
Because they run so much better, we also took the time to completely overhaul their graphics, making them look much nicer. We also added a few new asteroid types on top of this!





This system’s not done yet, as the new asteroid types (and new variants for existing types rather than just replacements) aren’t all in yet.


Previous all items in the game were tied to your ship’s cargo hold, but we’ve made a new system that has player-specific inventory items.This meta-inventory tends to hold more abstract possessions, or items used in quests and for crafting materials. This change coincides with a change to how looting wrecks work. Wrecks now give damaged equivalents of existing equipment, which have to be repaired with special repair meta-items (gained as rare drops, or through quests, exploration, and bossfights).




Items also have reputation requirements now too! If you want that shiny new gun from the military, you’re going to have to get them to trust you first.





Last month I talked briefly about getting mines working. In addition to giving missiles and mines new explosions, NPCs are now able to use them. Unfortunately, they’re also able to use them.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

Luckily most NPCs also have a limit as to the number of missiles and mines they can use, and all in-game ordnance has all been adjusted for speed, power, clarity, etc. Countermeasures also work properly now, so when you’ve got thirty million missiles chasing you, you can take some of the heat off you.


Ancient space highways, bioluminescent space deer, battleships, new station models, frog… things! And more! As the game edges closer to release this kind of thing (namely actual content) is what you’ll start to see more and more of.
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]








And that’s all for this month. As always, take a look at our Kickstarter page for more information and in-depth info! We’ll be back next month with another update, and keep an eye out this month for demo 1.5!

November: Everyone’s favorite Christmas month. Except if you hate snow, which if you live in Wisconsin, you probably do. Still, it makes for a perfect excuse to turn on a heater, lock yourself in a dark room for six weeks and chug away at a fantasy space game.

Now, before we begin I have a fairly significant announcement I’d like to make. We mentioned in a previous update, but I’d like to reiterate it as the year approaches its untimely demise: Underspace will not be released in 2019. At the time we made that decision, there was always the chance for a 2019 release, but doing so would involve some serious rushing or releasing it in early access. Obviously, with December coming up, a release really isn’t possible and we early access is not a viable option, hence the delay. I will be trying however to get the next demo out before the year ends, and as always we’ll have these monthly updates detailing progress on the game. If they don’t happen, assume I’m dead. Though that probably won’t stop me.

As always, you can read the full, detailed summary of all that on our Kickstarter page here. This news page will be a brief summary of the things being worked on.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/pastaspace/underspace/posts/2677632



A huge amount of internal work was done this month, including a redux of our skill system (mostly decoupling skill logic from ships and pilots and making it more generalized), how damage checks it sources, functions to retrieve and track loot table data, hardpoint type passes, more advanced NPC spawning, and more. Of course all these new systems meant going back over them and getting rid of bugs both new and old.
With all that out of the way, I could properly implemented the remaining bits of equipment and weaponry that your ship was lacking, including things like:
Automated Systems (including AI turrets, mining, and fishing drones)

Mines (persistent little buggers that they are)

And things that don't really have screenshots, like smuggling holds and cargo containers.



While you've always been able to color your starships, you haven't up until now been able to really paint them with things like decals, but that's all changed! At any customization station you can scale, rotate, and place a variety of paintjobs and stickers, which are unlocked through play.



A variety of particle effects and graphics have been gone over, looking for both visual error and things that have clarity issues. This includes engines, weapons, equipment, etc.


Additionally, a few UI windows weren't up to the same standards as the rest of the game, such as news and mission windows, but that's changed and fixed. The UI itself is also having its last few assets done up, to be in line visually with the rest of the game's interface.


Fish have also been improved, and are no longer just animated statics but exhibit proper flocking and boid behavior.


And of course our various artists have been hard at work with lots of new assets. Things like new station pieces, battleships, and space deer.



And that’s all for this month! There's lots more to cover in the Kickstarter page proper, so check that out. As November continues to freeze everything, we’ll be moving forward on things like suns, nebula passes, redoing asteroids (they suck right now), more models, better explosions, wreck models, etc, etc.

As mentioned we’ll be trying to get the next demo to you ASAP. The tutorial mission is written out, but still needs to be implemented and scripted.

Until next time!

Whew, how about that September month huh? With all its... stuff. Honestly if something happened I wasn't paying attention, too busy working on this game and making all this progress.

As always, you can read the full, detail summary of all that on our Kickstarter page here. This news page will be a brief summary of the things being worked on.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/pastaspace/underspace/posts/2646207


The biggest new thing made in the past month is all the work done on stations. Out of the 150 (give or take) stations in game, all of them now have proper exteriors, station bounds, and are all ready to be explored and docked at.


Of course these stations just have prototype models right now, but don't worry, that Kickstarter money is going towards rectifying such a massive issue.



And on the topic of models, all fixtures (celestial bodies that aren't stations) are also getting their models reworked for a nice, pretty experience.




I believe I mentioned last month that I was working all up on the big bulky utility ships known as freighters. I'm happy to announce their basic models are not only finished, but all freighters have been put in game and are now flight ready and NPC ready. With the next demo (which will be coming... sometime), you'll be able to encounter and fly freighters, making your fortune by trading all the chorm your body can handle.


We're also hard at work greyboxing out the remaining starships, which are mostly capitalships and quest-specific entities.



The next big thing after stations are nebulas. The tech is fine, but they need some visual variety and clarity. Starting now, there's 10 new cloud types, offering a greater level of variety. Plus they're kinda pretty.


The volumetric lighting and sun shaft system is now applied to the nebulas proper, both for normal ligthing, as well as lightning.



Finally, all seventy star systems have had a pass on their lighting and nebulas, to stop issues where things were blindly bright or (in places without suns) the ambient lighting wasn't good enough.



And that covers the big points! As always, check out the Kickstarter link for a more in-depth look, as we've also got new camera effects, new sun types, UI changes, and much more. Ideally within the next month we'll have even more shiny assets for you to ogle.